Natick Public Schools Laptop Information Session for Parents Fall 2011.

Natick Public Schools

Laptop Information Session for Parents Fall 2011

because it’s the right thing

Yet students experience a huge gap between their everyday lives and activities when they walk into a classroom. They now use paper, pencils, listen to one person lecture them, read dated textbooks, then memorize for a test.

Engaging these students and making education relevant is critical...for our schools to continue to effectively and fully prepare the citizens and leaders of tomorrow.

Tools to Enhance the Learning Process

MacBook Laptop

13-inch, 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - White2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB, SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD ±RW/CD-RW)

External 500 GB USB Backup Drive

Protective Bag

Laptop Charger

Student Equipment

3 Year Warranty

Tools to Enhance the Learning Process

Robust and Secure Infrastructure

Internet Filtering

School Wide Wireless


Students will not have administrative rights to the laptop!

Standard software image is maintained district wide.Allows faster deployment and fewer surprises in the classroom!


Roaming Internet FilterThe same filter in school and at home

Internet Filtering Services

The web filtering service we implemented within the district follows laptops everywhere they go.

Supervision is still recommended in school and home – use of a filter is no guarantee – no monitoring solution is fool proof

Our filtering solution provides detailed reporting by username and computer ID. School staff has the ability to view the content of a student laptop at any time


Teacher’s view of student screens


Carts for Secure Storage and Charging while in School

Summary of Student Safety & Security

No Administrative rights to the laptop

Roaming Internet Filter at School and Home

Email provided to students archived for 1 year

Anti-Virus Software provided

External Backup Drive provided

LAN School for Classroom Management

Help Desk Center &Technical Support

Both Middle Schools now has a Help Desk Center and school technician:

WMS located in library

KMS located in Room 200 A

Technical support is available from 7:30 am until the end of the school day.

Students can stop by the Help Desk Center with questions and problems.

After HoursTechnical Support

The school district has purchased an Apple Care Protection plan with each laptop.

This allows you to contact Apple directly for help with hardware or software issues:

800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273)

http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service

Logins/Passwords

Students have been issued their login and password information in their homerooms

Students should not change passwords. The same username and password is used for network access, iPass, Moodle and Destiny, Google, etc.

Students must not share their password with anyone!!

Data Backup

Students are ultimately responsible for backing up their data.

Files must be backed up via flash drives, CD/DVDs or external hard drive (provided)

Students purchased a flash drive as part of school supply list for students to take away data at end of year.

Laptops will be collected by the last day of school each year and completely wiped to start next school year clean.

Laptop Care

Carry in provided case at all times

Charge nightly

Visit Help Desk Center at first sign of trouble (don’t put it off)

Do not walk around with laptop open

Do not leave unattended (charger and laptop)

Avoid eating and drinking near laptop

Careful when using around young children and pets

Property of NPS, entrusted to the student to benefit their education

Taking Care of Your Laptop

Do not put your laptop in your backpack, even if it is in the case

Do not leave ANYTHING on the keyboard when closing your laptop

Don’t use your computer as a folder to store papers

Keep your laptop in your carrying case when you aren’t using it. Don’t drop the case on the floor, use it as a backrest on the bus, put heavy books on it, or cram it in your locker

Keep your laptop away from dampness or wet weather, such as rain, snow, and fog

Taking Care of Your Laptop

Keep your laptop away from extreme heat or cold. Leaving it in an unventilated car or in the sun could damage it. If your laptop has been exposed to cold conditions for a long period of time, let it warm up to room temperature before you use it.

Close the lid gently from the center and wait for the sleep light to pulse before moving the laptop.

Remember, hard drives don’t like to be bounced around, and screens will break if enough pressure is applied to them.

The laptop must be returned in similar condition – no stickers, scratches, writing, engraving or defacement.

Using Your Laptop

Set up your laptop on a stable work surface

Keep your laptop away from water or other liquids

Don’t eat or drink while using your laptop

When attaching the power adapter to the laptop, make sure the cord isn’t stretched too tight; it should be a little loose

Don’t insert things, especially metal, into any openings of your laptop

Using Your Laptop

Be patient. Sometimes computers take a few seconds to think–so don’t start pounding on the keys if your laptop doesn’t respond right away

Plug in your laptop when you get home from school so your battery will be fully charged for the next day. Your laptop does not have a replaceable battery

If you have problems with your laptop, stop using it and ask your teacher for assistance, and/or report it to the school computer technician.

Cleaning Your Laptop

Don’t spray liquid directly on the laptop

Do not mark the laptop in any way with markers, stickers, etc. Each laptop is labeled with a district identification barcode and student id label. Do not remove these labels

Battery Tips

Bring laptop to school fully charged each day

Use until discharged – don’t short charge – let the battery go completely dead at least once a month

Please bring your charger to school each day in the event you need to plug-in.

Review battery-conservation tips in ‘Section 2 : Care and Maintenance” section of the handbook.

Protecting Your Laptop

Be wary of theft – it’s very easy to walk away with a laptop

-Keep in constant contact with your laptop

-Do not leave your laptop unattended

-Whenever possible, lock up your laptop

Laptop Warranty &Annual Fee All computers are covered by Apple’s

warranty against manufacturer’s defects for three years.

The NPS Student & Parent/Guardian laptop agreement needs to be signed and $75 check made out to the Natick Public School before laptops are taken home.

The Natick School District’s Laptop Computer Accidental Damage/Loss Policy is in place to cover most issues that may arise with the laptop

What the $75 will not cover...

If the machine is dropped (Apple voids the warranty)

If the laptop/charger was “stolen” because it was left UNATTENDED

If damage is due to not following the Required Use Policy

Laptop AccidentalDamage/Loss Policy

Tiered approach for damage and repairs:

- Tier I - $0 (Minor wear and tear covered by annual laptop fee)

- Tier II - $100 (Moderate damage or part replacement, ie: broken DVD drive)

- Tier III - $200 (More expensive repair due to spill damage, cracked screen, dropped laptop)

- Tier IV – Full value of the device if lost or stolen. GPS tracking will be used when a police report is filed.

Internet Safety in the Schools

Student Training

Students receive training on the use of the laptop

Students receive training on Internet safety

Teacher directed use of the internet

Students use the Internet only for educational research and activities

Teachers monitor student Internet use in class

Students are not allowed “free time” to surf the Internet

Filter is in place at home and school on laptop

Teachers weigh and research the sites used

Internet safety guidelines for Students

1. Never give out personal information

2. Never use parents’ credit card online

3. Never share passwords with anyone

4. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting

5. Don’t open e-mail if you don’t know who sent it

6. Don’t click on banner adds or pop-up ads on websites

7. Never use bad language or send threatening e-mail

School internet filtering

Roaming Internet Filter

Filters web sites based on categories of content

Updates provided by vendor nightly

Can block specific web sites upon request

Suggested Guidelines For Home Internet Use

Parents should set and enforce rules for home Internet use

Have computer in a common room (not in the bedroom with the door closed!)

Time limit on Internet, instant messaging, social networking sites, online gaming, etc.

Parents should ask and know student’s personal username and password

Home Internet Safety

Suggestions concerning e-mail

Parents should have access to students’ e-mail

Threatening e-mail should never be sent

Attachments bring danger of viruses

Spam=Junk mail=Don’t reply


Instant Messaging

Different clients: AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, Microsoft Instant Messenger, iChat (iChat, Google Chat, Moodle Chat, Skype are turned off on laptops)

Any electronic chatting used by students is a violation of our AUP.


Social networking sites

Various: Facebook, MySpace, Gmail Buzz, Twitter, MeeBo, BeBo, BlackPlanet, Buzznet, Habbo, imeem, Jaiku, MiGente, MyChurch, Windows Live Space, Xanga, and new ones appearing regularly

Purpose:

Online communities of people who share interests and activities, and provide a variety of ways to interact


Web-surfing

Banner/pop-up ads: clicking on them places a “cookie” on your computer, allowing websites to track your movements (from Wal-mart to phishing scams!)

Never give out personal information, even seemingly innocent and unimportant info

Never make online purchases without parent permission/supervision-- make sure website is secure (https:) before entering credit card information

Monitoring Student ActivityCheck the History in FireFox (History, Show All

History)

If it is empty, ask why

Click on an item to go to that page

Monitoring Student ActivityCheck the History in Safari (Bookmarks, Show All

History)

If it is empty, ask why

Click on an item to go to that page

Required Use Policy/Code of Conduct

Students will make available all messages or files upon administrator or teacher request

Just like a textbook or a locker, NPS owns the laptop. Students are permitted to use it for educational advancement

Administrators have capability to remotely view student computers


Use Appropriate Language

When searching the web

When sending messages

When blogging/using message boards

Cyber Bullying


Give credit where credit is due!

Following copyright laws

Staff member responsible for training students and teachers on copyright laws


Prohibited access:

Bypassing the web filter

Using another student’s username or password

Sharing passwords

Downloading or installing

Tampering with the hardware


Personal communications prohibited:*

Chat rooms

Instant messaging

Social networking sites

Hosting personal web pages*Unless school-approved, teacher supervised


Inappropriate materials:

Materials that are unacceptable in a school setting

Pornographic, obscene, graphically violent, vulgar

Music, sounds, language, videos or other materials

Do not download or transfer through an external drive


Keeping your laptop damage free:

Do not leave a laptop unattended.

Keep pets, food, drink, and babies away from laptop. Laptop may not be used during school lunch.

Do not leave your laptop in a vehicle.

Unauthorized/NonacademicUse of Laptops:

The laptop comes pre-loaded with all the software needed for classes. Students are not allowed to install, uninstall, or modify any application, game, or operating system component in part or whole. Students will only be able to launch applications that have been approved by the school district.

Accessing proxy sites to bypass district web-filtering (i.e., finding other ways to get to restricted sites)

Using laptops and district network to exchange/share media files, such as mp3s or videos, that are in violation of copyright laws (i.e., illegally obtained). Any music or other commercial files downloaded to the laptop must be legally owned by the student user.

AUP/Agreements

The Natick School District’s Acceptable Use Policy must be adhered to at all times (in resources file on student desktop and on all sites/in handbooks)

Any attempt to bypass or disable district network security, filtering, or similar functions is considered a direct violation of Natick’s AUP which will result in disciplinary action

All activity conducted on the Natick School District’s Internet/Network is monitored and can be tracked/traced. All use of the Internet/Network should be to further the student’s education and enrich the student’s educational resources.

The AUP and NPS Laptop agreement must be signed and a check for $75 for the NPS Loss policy must be submitted before a laptop will be allowed to be taken home – Please take a few minutes to review the laptop agreement before signing.

Resources

http://www.natickps.org/districtinfo/forstudents/onetoone.cfm

http://npsdigitalconversion.wordpress.com/

Natick Public Schools Laptop Information Session for Parents Fall 2011.

Documents

Transcript of Natick Public Schools Laptop Information Session for Parents Fall 2011.